The Korea Times

K-pop group aespa to attend UN meeting on sustainable development

K-pop girl group aespa / Courtesy of SM Entertainment By Kim RahnK-pop girl group aespa will join the U.N.'s High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development next week, its agency, SM Entertainment, said, Friday. The four-member act will attend the opening session of the forum, to be held at the U.N. headquarters in New York at 9 a.m. on July 5 (local time).The annual forum is a venue where representatives from government, business and civic sectors review how each country has fulfilled its commitment to the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as discuss how to accelerate achieving them.It will be the first offline meeting since 2019, as the 2020 and 2021 events were held online.According to SM Entertainment, aespa's members will give a speech on the theme of “Next Generation to the Next Level,” as well as perform their hit song, “Next Level.”

Jul 1, 2022By Kim Rahn

K-pop group aespa to attend UN meeting on sustainable development

Trends

Fully intact early Joseon-era dragon-shaped roof tile decorations excavated

Staff of the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage place a “geompa,” a hilt-shaped ornament, on top of a “chwidu,” a dragon-shaped ornamental roof tile, during a press conference at the National Palace Museum of Korea, central Seoul, Wednesday. The fully intact set of the roof tile decorations, which is believed to be for royal buildings in the early Joseon era, was excavated from the mudflats of coastal Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Yonhap By Kim RahnA dragon-shaped ornamental roof tile and a hilt-shaped ornament placed on top of it have been unearthed, the first excavation ever of a fully intact dragon-shaped roof tile decoration, according to the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, Wednesday. A “chwidu” and “geompa” on the roof of Injeong Gate at Changdeok Palace in Seoul / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration

Jun 29, 2022By Kim Rahn

Fully intact early Joseon-era dragon-shaped roof tile decorations excavated

Films

'Top Gun: Maverick' soars to over 1 million views in Korea

Tom Cruise flies a fighter jet in a scene from “Top Gun: Maverick.” Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kim RahnTom Cruise's latest blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” has drawn more than 1 million viewers in four days since its release in Korea. According to the ticket sales compiled by the Korean Film Council, the Hollywood movie attracted some 472,000 filmgoers on Saturday, with the accumulated number of moviegoers since the release on June 22 standing at over 1.08 million.Another 220,000 tickets were also booked for Sunday's screenings, according to the council.The film has topped the box office ranking every day since its release. The pace of the ticket sales is similar to that of “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” (2011), which attracted the largest audience for a Tom Cruise film in Korea, some 7.57 million in total.“Top Gun: Maverick” is the sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun.” Legendary pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is called back to the naval flight academy to train young pilots and prepare them for

Jun 26, 2022By Kim Rahn

'Top Gun: Maverick' soars to over 1 million views in Korea

K-pop

Singers' association head opposes BTS' break from group activities

BTS during its “Proof Live” performance on YouTube / Courtesy of Big Hit MusicBy Kim RahnThe head of the Korea Singers' Association, Lee Ja-yeon, has urged K-pop giant BTS and its agency to reconsider their recent decision to halt group activities and instead focus more on solo projects, saying it will cause a negative impact on the global fever for hallyu.Singer Lee Ja-yeon / Courtesy of Korea Singers AssociationIn a statement released by the association, Wednesday, Lee said, “I'm concerned that the Korean wave centering around BTS, which has the strongest cultural soft power in Korea and the world, may fade away … Like a 'second Beatles' won't arrive easily, it is unlikely for there to be a 'second BTS,' so I'm worried that hallyu may be cut.”She continued, “You may have made the decision after deep deliberation, but would you reconsider (a withdrawal of the decision) for the sake of Korea's music industry?”Lee claimed no BTS would mean no “Army,” the name of the boy band's fan club, saying many of them are hallyu followers and

Jun 22, 2022By Kim Rahn

Singers' association head opposes BTS' break from group activities

K-pop

K-pop girl groups take to international stage

The poster for K-pop group (G)I-DLE's Seoul concerts, which are the start of the group's first world tour / Courtesy of Cube Entertainment By Kim RahnK-pop girl acts are launching their world tours, with many of them having their first ever concerts because their planned ones were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic or because they debuted during earlier parts of the global health crisis. (G)I-DLE started its first world tour, “2022 (G)I-DLE World Tour [Just Me ( )I-DLE],” with three concerts in Seoul from Friday to Sunday, according to its agency, Cube Entertainment, Friday.After the Seoul shows, the girl group will continue its tour in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Santiago, Mexico City, Monterrey, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo and Singapore.The act planned an international tour in early 2020 but cancelled it amid the pandemic.Debuting in 2018, (G)I-DLE released a series of hits, including “LATATA,” “Hwaa,” 'DUMDi DU

Jun 18, 2022By Kim Rahn

K-pop girl groups take to international stage

People & Events

'Squid Game' director wins Pony Chung Innovation Award

Hwang Dong-hyuk, second from right, the director of the Netflix series, “Squid Game,” poses beside the bust of the late HDC Group Honorary Chairman Chung Se-yung, whose nickname was “Pony Chung,” at Pony Chung Hall in southern Seoul, Thursday, after receiving the Pony Chung Innovation Award. On the left is HDC Group Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who is also the chairman of Pony Chung Foundation, and on the right is Park Young-ja, the widow of Chung Se-yung. Courtesy of HDC Hyundai Development Company By Kim RahnHwang Dong-hyuk, the director of Netflix's megahit series, “Squid Game,” has won an award recognizing innovation. The Pony Chung Foundation presented Hwang with the Pony Chung Innovation Award, Thursday. “Director Hwang has shown deep interest in and sharp criticism of social issues. The creator has been at the center of Korean cultural content scene with a broad spectrum of various genres and themes,” foundation Founder and Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who is also th

Jun 17, 2022By Kim Rahn

'Squid Game' director wins Pony Chung Innovation Award

Opinion

Best timing for Korean cinema to leap forward

By Kim RahnThe film industry was one of the sectors hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing guidelines prevented a large number of people from gathering at indoor places, and this directly meant theaters could not admit enough moviegoers to makes ends meet. The guidelines also gave people the impression that theaters were not safe from virus infection. Food bans inside the theaters also became one of the major factors here to chase away people who used to like the combo of eating popcorn and watching movies.So film producers and distributors pushed back the release dates of already finished films ― sometimes for months and sometimes even for nearly two years ― waiting for the time when the social distancing rules would be lifted and people would come back to see movies, without knowing when it would be.As the harsh period prolonged over a year without signs of ending, numbers of film-related companies and individuals began to wither one by one. In 2020 alone, 81 movie theaters were shut down nationwide. Even the nation's three largest theater chains ― CGV, Megabox and

Jun 15, 2022By Kim Rahn

Best timing for Korean cinema to leap forward

Shows & Dramas

Choi Min-sik, Son Suk-ku to lead new Disney+ series

Actors Choi Min-sik, left, and Son Suk-ku / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment, CJ ENM By Kim RahnActors Choi Min-sik and Son Suk-ku will star in the new Disney+ original series, “Casino,” to premiere in the latter half of this year.According to their respective agencies, Monday, the two actors will star in the drama that will be directed by Kang Yoon-sung, who created the 2017 hit action movie “The Outlaws.”“Casino” revolves around a man (Choi) who becomes the “king” of gambling but then loses everything and tries to return to the gambling scene ― but in doing so, he risks his life.It will be Choi's first small-screen appearance after 24 years of only silver screen work ― since a 1997-98 MBC drama. Subsequently, Choi has made a strong presence in the film industry with movies including “Oldboy” (2003), “I Saw the Devil” (2010), “New World” (2012) and “Roaring Currents” (2014).Son has been dubbed a rising star recently through his roles in “The Roundup,” the sequel to

Jun 13, 2022By Kim Rahn

Choi Min-sik, Son Suk-ku to lead new Disney+ series

Arts & Theater

'Fuerza Bruta' to return to Seoul in July

A scene from Fuerza Bruta show / Courtesy of Showbeyond Entertainment By Kim Rahn“Fuerza Bruta,” the nonverbal performance show famous for tantalizing the senses with high energy from both the performers and the audiences, is returning to Korea. The show's Korean organizer, Showbeyond Entertainment, said, Friday, “Fuerza Bruta Wayra in Seoul” will be held from July 20 to Oct. 10 at the FB Theater, a temporary structure for the show that is being built in front of Seoul Express Bus Terminal in southern Seoul. Tickets for the first six days ― July 20 to 25 ― will go on sale at 2 p.m. on June 13.The Argentinian performance drew huge attention and rave reviews during previous presentations here in 2018 and 2019. Some new performances will be added to this year's edition, including a scene named “The Crane,” the organizer said.Fuerza Bruta means “brutal force” in Spanish, and the “360-degree performance” uses not only the floor as its stage but also the ceiling and the w

Jun 11, 2022By Kim Rahn

'Fuerza Bruta' to return to Seoul in July

People & Events

Veteran entertainer Song Hae's achievements honored at funeral

A memorial service for late entertainer Song Hae is held on Songhae-gil, a central Seoul street dedicated to the veteran emcee, Friday, the day of his funeral. YonhapBy Kim RahnSingers, comedians, emcees, musicians and other people in the entertainment and media industries have offered their condolences to veteran entertainer Song Hae. The funeral service for the iconic television celebrity, who emceed KBS' “National Singing Contest” for 34 years, took place on Friday, two days after his death. Song was 95. About 100 people in these industries as well as bereaved family members held a memorial service at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul early in the morning.Comedian Eom Yong-soo, the head of the Korea Broadcasting Comedy Association, honored Song's achievements, especially his hosting of the singing competition show.“What you did was not just talking with the contest participants,” he said in a speech during the service. “You turned the venues into a place where everybody could dance, sing and enjoy themselves. You were a magician who made eld

Jun 10, 2022By Kim Rahn

Kim Rahn

Read more